IntraNet Solutions, Inc. Xpedio Content Management System

IntraNet Solutions' Xpedio Content Management System is a packaged application for end-to-end management of source business content. Core components in the Xpedio Content Management System are Xpedio Content Server, the content repository, and Xpedio Content Publisher, for publishing source content to Web sites. An add-on module, Xpedio Dynamic Converter enables on-demand conversion of business content to Web-viewable formats. The Xpedio Content Management System addresses seven functional components: Contribution, Native Source Management, Conversion, Web Source Management, Publishing, Deployment, and Personalization. Xpedio supports a number of standards for wireless communications, including Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML) and Wireless Markup Language (WML), to enable content to be formatted for and delivered to handheld devices such as Palm Pilots, cell phones, and pagers.

Note

IntraNet Solutions released Xpedio 4.6 in March 2001. It provides an Enterprise JavaBean (EJB) for integration with any J2EE-compliant EJB application server. Xpedio 4.6 follows the release of Xpedio 4.5 (December 2000), which added dynamic conversion technology (based on acquired technology from Information Exchange), automatic content categorization, and the capability of publishing to WML standards.


	Table of Contents
	Overview Analysis Pricing Competitors Strengths Limitations Insight


	List of Tables
	Table 1:	Overview: IntraNet Solutions Xpedio Content Management System
	Table 2:	Features and Functions: IntraNet Solutions Xpedio Content Management System
	Table 3:	Price List: Xpedio Content Management Suite

Corporate Headquarters

IntraNet Solutions, Inc.

7777 Golden Triangle Drive

Eden Prairie, MN 55344, U.S.A.

Tel: +1 952 903 2000

Fax: +1 952 829 5424

Internet: www.intranetsolutions.com

Overview [return to Table of Contents]

The Xpedio Content Management System consists of Xpedio Content Server, a packaged application for content management, as well as application modules including Xpedio Content Publisher for publishing content to Web sites and Xpedio Dynamic Converter for on-demand conversion of native business content to Web-viewable formats. Xpedio Content Publisher and Xpedio Dynamic Converter are tightly integrated with Xpedio Content Server; when used together, they provide an end-to-end solution for managing content and automating the creation of Web sites. This end-to-end solution addresses seven main functions: Contribution, Native Source Management, Conversion, Web Source Management, Publishing, Deployment, and Personalization. Xpedio Content Server provides core content management features such as check-in/-out, version control, full-text searching, workflow, and security, while Xpedio Content Publisher transforms content into Web formats such as XML, WML, HTML, or PDF and also automates building and maintaining Web sites.

Xpedio Content Server is built upon a three-tier architecture consisting of a Java-based server, which runs on Microsoft Windows NT, Linux, HP-UX, and Sun Solaris platforms. Users access Xpedio using standard Web browser clients. Xpedio Content Server communicates through HTTP and CGI. Content is stored in its native format in the Xpedio Content Server repository. Metadata or information about the content is stored in an SQL database. Xpedio Content Server ships with a runtime version of Microsoft Access, but users can use Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, Informix, or Sybase as the underlying database. Xpedio Content Server supports two types of users: consumers and contributors. IntraNet Solutions defines consumers as those people who need to find, view, and/or print content, and contributors as those who create and revise content.

After content has been created, it must be checked into the Xpedio Content Server repository. The contributor also enters the content's associated metadata, the information that will enable others to find and view the content. This process can be automated with the use of Xpedio Content Categorizer. Once content has been checked in, it then gets passed to either the Content Refinery or the Content Publisher, where it is converted into a Web-viewable format. It then goes through the Index Refinery, which indexes all words in the content, and is subsequently published to the Web site.

Content Publisher uses the concept of publications and projects as its underlying metaphor. Similar to the concept of a folder, a publication contains a list of related source content, each of which has its own translation template. A project is a set of publications that sets the hierarchical structure of a Web site. Projects can include many publications as well as multiple levels of sub-publications. An Abstraction feature enables content to be analyzed and broken into elements. It automatically analyzes content and determines its major components; i.e., identifies title, first-level heads, and the text body. Content Publisher also creates the Web site navigation dynamically from the content and can personalize the navigation based on the user's security. Prior to publishing the production site, a staged site can be published and routed through a workflow approval process.

Xpedio Content Server is available in enterprise, production (midrange), and workgroup implementations. Xpedio Production (formerly Xpedio WAM) is designed for single-server environments that have unlimited contributors, while Xpedio Workgroup (formerly Intra.doc! Management System) targets workgroup or departmental applications with a single server and 50 or less contributors.

Table 1

Overview: IntraNet Solutions Xpedio Content Management System

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Product Type	Content management software.
Current Version	4.6.
Date Announced	September 1999 (2.0); June 2000 (4.0); December 2000 (4.5); March 2001 (4.6).
Date First Shipped	Xpedio Content Server: October 1999 (2.0); June 2000 (4.0); December 2000 (4.5); March 2001 (4.6). Xpedio Content Publisher: December 1999 (2.0); June 2000 (4.0); December 2000 (4.5). Xpedio ReportSite: October 1999 (2.0); June 2000 (4.0); December 2000 (4.5). Xpedio PDF Merge: May 2000. Xpedio Dynamic Converter: December 2000 (4.5); March 2001 (4.6).
Number Installed	1,200+ (Xpedio family).
Architecture	Three-tier, open architecture. Uses a Java-based server and standard Web browser clients.
Server Platforms Supported	• Intel or compatible Pentium PCs (300MHz) or Sun Ultra SPARC processor running Microsoft Windows NT, Sun Solaris, HP-UX, Red Hat Linux. • Web Servers: Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0 or 5.0 for NT, Netscape Enterprise Server 3.6 or 4.0, Apache Webserver 1.3.x, iPlanet Web Server 4.0 or 4.1.
Client Platforms Supported	Intel PCs or Macintosh and Unix systems running Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or 5.0 or Netscape Navigator 4.0, 4.5, or 4.6 browser.
Databases Supported	Ships with Microsoft Access. Supports Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase, Informix, and Oracle. Supports JDBC and is ODBC 2.0 compliant.
Communications Protocols Supported	TCP/IP, HTTP, HTTPS.
Standards Supported	HDML, WML, XML, HTML, PDF, LDAP, ODMA.
System Administration Tools	Xpedio supports Web-based system administration using Java technology. Lets users set up the system remotely and manage it from anywhere. Only a login defined with the role of administrator or sub-administrator can access the Xpedio Administration tools. Administration tools are divided into Administration Applets and HTML Forms. The applets require a browser that supports Java Virtual Machine version 1.1.
Application Integration	Integrates with J2EE-compliant EJB application servers through an Enterprise JavaBean that interacts with Xpedio Content Server. Integrates with desktop applications through ODMA. Xpedio also supports HTTP and XML, connectors, and a Java API for integrating with legacy systems or applications.
System Security	Xpedio supports a three-tier Web security model and leverages the Windows NT domain security as well as NDS and LDAP, thus enabling single logon and single-source user administration. Access control is set at Accounts, Security Groups, Roles, and User levels. Individual privileges are set for each user. Xpedio roles and accounts are derived from NT groups or LDAP attributes. System administrators define Security Groups. Security can also be set to the content or page level. Permission types are defined as read, write, delete, and admin. Xpedio Content Server comes with predefined Security Groups, Roles, and Users. Custom security features (e.g., by department, by management, or by individual) are also supported.
Native Language Support	The user interface is currently English only. In terms of local language support for content, Xpedio Content Server supports single- and double-byte languages.
User Interface	Web browser.
System Requirements
Xpedio Content Server for Windows NT	• Intel or 100 percent-compatible, 300MHz or higher Pentium PC with a CD-ROM drive • Minimum of 256MB RAM • Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0 with Service Pack 5 or 6a or Windows 2000 • Microsoft Internet Information Server version 4.0 or 5.0 for NT or Netscape Enterprise Server 3.5 or 3.6 • iPlanet Web Server 4.0 or 4.1 • Microsoft Access (not recommended for production implementations), Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 or 2000, Oracle8 or 8i, Sybase 11, or Informix 9.2
Xpedio Content Server for Sun Microsystems	• Sun Ultra SPARC processor • Sun Solaris 2.6 or 2.7 • Netscape Enterprise Server 3.6 or 4.0 • iPlanet Web Server 4.0 or 4.1 • Apache 1.3x • Oracle version 8 or 8i, Sybase 11, or Informix 9.2
Xpedio Content Server for HP-UX	• c-class workstation • HP-UX 11 • Apache 1.3x • iPlanet Web Server 4.0 or 4.1 • Oracle8 or 8i, Sybase 11, or Informix 9.2
Xpedio Content Server for Red Hat Linux	• Intel or 100 percent-compatible, 300MHz or higher Pentium PC with a CD-ROM drive • Linux 6.2 or 7.0 • Apache 1.3x • Oracle8 or 8i or Informix 9.2
Xpedio Content Publisher	• Intel or 100 percent-compatible, 300MHz or higher Pentium PC with a CD-ROM drive • Minimum 200MB free disk space • Minimum of 32MB RAM • Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0 with Service Pack 3 or higher • Microsoft Internet Information Server Version 4.0 or 5.0 for NT or Netscape Enterprise Server 3.5 or 3.6

Analysis [return to Table of Contents]

With the Xpedio Content Management product family, IntraNet Solutions focuses on managing unstructured content for global 2,000 companies. Xpedio is targeted for enterprise internal content in intranet or extranet applications where there are many contributors. Xpedio is being used for applications such as Web asset management, corporate and/or vertical portals, regulatory compliance, ISO 9000 compliance, enterprise report distribution, customer relationship management, supply-chain management, or other business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-enterprise (B2E) applications in a number of vertical industries, including insurance, government, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and finance. Xpedio Content Management System customers include Merrill Lynch, Target Corp., ConAgra Foods, Premera Blue Cross, Verizon, and Los Alamos National Labs.

The Xpedio Content Management System addresses the core requirements of a content management system, including dynamic content, native content conversion, workflow, template-based content creation, content replication, and security management.

Table 2

Features and Functions: IntraNet Solutions Xpedio Content Management System

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Content Creation/Contribution
Content Capture/Import	Xpedio takes over after the authoring process and is designed to accommodate electronic content in a variety of native formats. Contributors create content in familiar desktop applications such as Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, Office 2000, Lotus SmartSuite, Dreamweaver, Flash, etc., and check it into the Xpedio Content Server via a standard Web browser. For simple content, contributors are also able to submit content through the use of contribution templates. During check-in, contributors have the ability to preview the rendered Web-viewable version of the content that they are submitting. Content can also be imported from other lines of business or reporting applications. Xpedio also supports capture of paper-based content through an optional module.
Template-Based Content	With Xpedio, users can add content through contribution templates.
Xpedio Desktop	Xpedio Desktop provides a direct link between client applications and the Xpedio server. An ODMA version lets users retrieve content from the Xpedio server by performing File/Open from within the native ODMA-compliant applications. They can also perform File/Close, File/Save, or File/Save As to check content from the native application into the Xpedio repository. An optional Microsoft Outlook Integration module enables users to contribute content to Xpedio directly from within Outlook and to attach Xpedio content to Outlook messages.
Xpedio Legacy	The optional Xpedio Legacy module lets paper-based content be scanned and converted into Web-ready files that can be stored in the content repository and managed with Xpedio Content Server. It uses Adobe Acrobat Capture and Kofax's Ascent Capture technology to capture content.
Content Management
General	Content is stored and managed in its native format in a central repository, the Xpedio Content Server. Content is maintained as a single source object. Xpedio can manage any file type, including text-based documents, streaming media, engineering drawings, or executables. Many file formats are automatically rendered to PDF, HTML, WML, XML, JPEG, and GIF.
File Formats Supported	Microsoft Office 2000 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), RTF, ASCII, HTML, etc.
Graphic Formats Supported	Through the Xpedio InterCAD option, Xpedio enables users to access, manage, and publish native AutoCAD files in a Web-based format. Other formats accepted include the following: • Import: BMP, CDR, CGM, DIB, DRW, DXF, EPS, GIF, HPGL, JPEG, MSP, PCC, PCX, PNG, PIC, RAS, TIFF, WMF, WPG. • Output: GIF, JPEG, PNG.
Access Control	Supports access control at the Web page and object level.
Indexing	The Index Refinery layer indexes all words in a document. Information about the content (or metadata) can also be used for indexing purposes. Xpedio comes with preconfigured metadata and also supports optional and custom fields. Standard (or preconfigured) metadata fields include Name, Type, Title, Author, Security Group, Release Data, and Expiration Date. Metadata is critical to how content is placed in the Web structure.
Library Services	Supports check-in-out, version control, security, workflow, subscription services, and aliasing. Only one person may have a particular piece of content checked out at a time. Also provides a directory check-in feature that enables users to check in multiple components (e.g., text, graphics, hyperlinks, etc.), multiple files, or even an entire directory as one file. Supports downloading of multiple components of a single piece of content for editing.
Version Control	Xpedio Content Server always displays the most current version of the content. A Revision History function lets users view the content's revision history.
Searching	Supports two methods of searching for content: by metadata and by full text. Embeds Verity's search engine for full-text searching. Search criteria include author, department, date range, or content type, with options for wild cards and Boolean operators. Also supports stemming (retrieving words with the same stem). Search results are displayed as a list with content displayed. Content is ranked in order of relevancy. An add-on module, Verity Locales enables enterprises to extend Verity's search functionality to support languages other than English. Languages supported are Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Bokmal, Danish, Finnish, Nynorsk, Swedish, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional). The Enterprise Search option enables searching across multiple Xpedio Content Management System instances.
Content Assembly/Component Management	Through the add-on Xpedio PDF Merge module, users can assemble complex publications from various source components. Supports watermarking and mail merge capabilities.
Content Subscription	Enables users to subscribe to a particular piece of content or a category of content so that they are automatically notified when that content is updated. An e-mail message, containing the URL for the content, is sent to the user each time the content is updated. Users can unsubscribe at any time.
Content Viewing	Content can be viewed in several ways: in HTML, XML, WML, Adobe PDF, native file formats or via helper applications and plug-ins. Xpedio converts approximately 225 file formats to HTML, XML, and WML. Through the Xpedio Compression module, users can check large image files into Xpedio. Xpedio will automatically convert them to a compressed MrSID format that can be viewed as a thumbnail. Previously converted MrSID files can also be checked into Xpedio.
Enterprise Report Management	Through the Xpedio Report Parser module, it provides the ability to convert mainframe-generated reports (e.g., COLD and COM data) into standard Web templates. Captures output from applications that generate report data, parses the metadata, and loads it into the Xpedio repository. A Java-based application, Xpedio Report Parser outputs reports in XML, HTML, PDF, or text formats.
Archiving	Xpedio's archiving capabilities enable organizations to archive specific content, including groups of content, and metadata to offline storage media.
Workflow
General	Xpedio provides tools for routing source content as well as for automating the processes surrounding Web site production.
Content Workflow	Provides embedded e-mail-based workflow for routing content. An e-mail message, containing the URL for the content, is sent to the user each time the content is updated. Tracks the routing of a content before it is published to the Web. Supports criteria-based workflow. When content matching certain criteria is checked in to the repository, it is automatically entered into a predetermined workflow. A workflow typically involves one or more content objects, one or more contributors, and zero or more reviewers. Only content in the same security group can be assigned to a workflow. Provides e-mail notification when actions are required on the content. Workflows can be canceled after they have been started. Supports multiple review steps.
Web Site Workflow	Provides the capability of routing a URL to a staged site so that specified reviewers can approve the presentation of a site (as opposed to approving the content or factuality of the site, which is done through Content Workflow). The reviewers can accept or reject (with problem statements) specific pages in the staged site. The site is published to the production site when all reviewers have approved the staged site.
Content Delivery
General	Xpedio Content Publisher imports source content from network file systems or the Xpedio Content Server repository and enables it to be published to Web sites, to Web servers, or to the Xpedio Content Server. The Xpedio Content Management Suite can use a site design that was created with HTML authoring/editing tools such as Microsoft FrontPage and Macromedia's Dreamweaver. Web pages can also be built from live data feeds, but depending upon the format of the feed, customization may be required. Provides automatic link management. Web pages can be published back into the Xpedio repository for secure management, indexing, and personalized delivery.
Templates	Xpedio Content Publisher uses a template approach for automating the publishing process. Templates can be used to publish content from a single source into different Web formats and/or onto print media. Templates control the look and feel, as well as the behavior of the Web page. For example, content can be associated with Java applets, ActiveX controls, or with a JavaScript or VisualBasicScript for interactions.
Content Refinery	The Content Refinery is a continually running service on the Xpedio server. It detects when content has been checked into the system and processes it according to its format and predefined type. It uses agent technology and a messaging queue to convert content from standard applications to Web-viewable format files, including PDF, HTML, WML, and XML formats.
Xpedio Dynamic Converter	The optional Xpedio Dynamic Converter module enables Web site developers to convert Web content from its native source to HTML on demand from users and deliver it dynamically to a Web site.
Web Layout Editor	A Java-based program that builds an Xpedio Web site. It dynamically updates the Web page hierarchy to reflect changes or additions. Contains three sections: the Web Page Hierarchy, Page Properties, and Page Links.
Personalization	Through the Personal Navigation Environment (or portal), Xpedio can deliver information on a one-to-one basis to consumers. This information can be "pulled" by the consumers or "pushed" by business managers through specified business rules. In the latter case, information delivery can be based on a user's profile information— such as department, gender, nationality, geographic location, etc. Xpedio Content Publisher customizes navigation (conditional disclosure) for the user through an XML Map file that is cross-referenced with the user's security settings. Xpedio provides a global user database, self registration, and security-driven navigation through integration with LDAP, NDS, Windows NT, and Netegrity models.
Replication	Replication capabilities let organizations replicate user-defined bundles of content to other Xpedio sites or to external media.
Versioning/Rollback	Xpedio supports versioning of Web sites and individual content elements. Xpedio has two methods of performing site rollback. First, since Xpedio uses project files for site design, it can perform version control on the project files, enabling a previous version of the site design to be recalled. Second, if a customer publishes a site that has content that is not routed through the project file, then Xpedio can use its archiver to archive content that comes after a specific date— this will then show the site as it was on that date.
Staging	Xpedio Content Publisher provides a staging feature that allows a Web site to be checked for accuracy prior to being posted to the Web server or published in an Xpedio Content Server database. This staging site can also be workflow reviewed prior to publishing the production site.
Updating	Xpedio Content Publisher supports scheduled updates of Web sites and content, as well as event-triggered updates. These updates are incremental updates that only translate and publish the content that has changed since the last publication. Content Publisher also allows organizations to set content objects for automatic release and expiration.
Multichannel Publishing	Xpedio supports a number of standards for wireless communications, including Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML) and Wireless Markup Language (WML) to enable content to be formatted for and delivered to handheld devices such as Palm Pilots, cell phones, pagers, and Windows CE devices.


	Pricing [return to Table of Contents]

Table 3

Price List: Xpedio Content Management Suite

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Product	Price (US$)
Xpedio Content Server— Enterprise	175,000 (for three servers and unlimited contributors and consumers)
Xpedio Production	100,000 (for one server license and unlimited contributors and consumers)
Xpedio Workgroup	50,000 (for one server license and up to 50 contributors; lacks personalization capabilities and global user database)
Xpedio Content Publisher	30,000
Xpedio Dynamic Converter	30,000
Xpedio Report Parser	50,000
Xpedio PDF Merge	50,000
Xpedio Content Categorizer	50,000
Xpedio Desktop and Xpedio Legacy	Ranges from 2,500 to 32,000, depending on the number of scans per month

GSA Pricing

Yes.

Competitors [return to Table of Contents]

As a content management solution, the Xpedio Content Management System competes with a broad range of offerings. Competitors include Web content management products and vendors such as Interwoven TeamSite, Vignette V/5 Content Management Server, Eprise Participant Server, and Ncompass Resolution. What differentiates IntraNet Solutions' Xpedio family from the other Web content management products is its ability to manage source business content and convert it to multiple output formats for delivery.

IntraNet Solutions also competes with traditional integrated document management (IDM) products and vendors that have started to focus on content management. Among the traditional IDM products, the Xpedio Content Management System competes most directly with DOCUMENTUM 4i eBusiness Platform and FileNET Panagon Content Services. Like IntraNet Solutions has done with Xpedio, DOCUMENTUM and FileNET are moving away from their document-centric roots and moving into Web content management applications with new generations of Web-based products designed to manage an enterprise's intranet and extranet content. These products are typically viable solutions for enterprises that already are using one of them for managing internally focused content and documents and want to extend the capabilities to support Web content management.

Strengths [return to Table of Contents]

Among Xpedio Content Management System's key strengths are its ease of deployment, its distributed architecture, and its ability to manage content throughout its life cyle.

Embraces Web Technology

IntraNet Solutions designed Xpedio with an open, Web-based architecture supporting a Java server and thin clients; no special client software is required. It leverages current and emerging Web standards, such as HTTP, HTML, PDF, XML, HDML, Java, Enterprise JavaBean, and WML, and provides browser-based administration tools. All functionality is accessible through a standard Web browser.

End-to-End Solution

Together, Xpedio Content Server, Content Publisher, and Dynamic Converter provide an end-to-end solution for life cycle management of digital content. This life cycle process starts with the Contribution of source content created in standard desktop formats (e.g., Word, Excel, etc.), moves into the Management of that source content, then goes into the Publishing of the single source into one or more presentations, and ends with the Personalization of the presentation to individual users. Xpedio Content Server handles access control and manages content versions and links, while Xpedio Content Publisher automates the tasks surrounding publishing content in Web formats. It supports staging of content for quality assurance and personalization and profiling capabilities. Archiving of Web site content is supported through Xpedio Content Manger's project files metaphor. Project files and their associated source objects can be saved and later used to recreate a Web site as it appeared at a given point in time.

Xpedio Content Publisher uses a template-based publishing process whereby it separates form from source content.

Distributed Architecture

The Xpedio product family offers scalability through its distributed architecture. It supports centralized and/or distributed Web server configurations with replication and database copying facilities. Different server platforms (e.g., NT and Unix) can be mixed in a single implementation, and servers can be clustered to support load balancing and high availability. Xpedio also provides multichannel support, enabling native content to be formatted for delivery to Web browsers as well as to wireless handheld devices such as palm computers, cellular phones, and pagers.

J2EE Application Server Integration

With Xpedio version 4.6, IntraNet Solutions added support for integration with any J2EE-compliant EJB server, such as commerce and personalization servers. Xpedio 4.6 includes an Enterprise JavaBean that can be deployed on an EJB server. Once the EJB is deployed, client code can be written to access the bean and thus interact with Xpedio Content Server.

Limitations [return to Table of Contents]
Limited Workflow

Xpedio does provide built-in workflow capabilities; however, users should be aware that its workflow features are limited in scope. It supports a simple routing and approval process of content, as well as staged Web sites, using an e-mail infrastructure. It does not provide the sophisticated workflow functionality and visual process modeling capabilities found in some competing document management solutions. Xpedio's workflow features will be suitable in most cases; for those situations requiring more robust work management capabilities, IntraNet Solutions intends to provide integration with third-party workflow solutions.

Some Core Capabilities are Options

Although when used together they create an end-to-end content management solution, Xpedio Content Server and Xpedio Content Publisher are separately priced components. In addition, several other core capabilities are provided as optional modules. These include the Xpedio Dynamic Converter and Xpedio Content Categorizer. While pricing these as separate components gives organizations the flexibility to pick and choose capabilities based on their specific requirements, it also adds to the total cost of a full-featured solution.

Insight [return to Table of Contents]

Organizations looking for an end-to-end solution for managing their internal business content throughout its life cycle as well as for maintaining dynamic intranet and extranet sites should include the Xpedio Content Management System on their short list. Xpedio blends integrated document management functionality with Web content management capabilities into a single solution. Strengths include Xpedio's broad server platform support (e.g., Windows NT, Unix, Linux); its support for native file conversion to HTML, XML, WML, and HDML that enables multichannel output; and its capability of managing all forms of internal business content, including paper-based documents and enterprise reports.